What We Know About the Coronavirus
The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causes the current outbreak of the respiratory disease COVID-19. The virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and has spread globally by now. The Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA, provides current updates of coronavirus COVID-19 global cases. The World Health Organization (WHO), which declared the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak a pandemic in 2020, describes how to protect yourself.
Below, you will find articles that have appeared on ChemistryViews covering the following topics:
- Virus Transmission and Protective Measures
- Vaccines and Immunity
- Drugs and Treatments
- Testing
- Virus Structure and Receptors
- Other Topics
Virus Transmission and Protective Measures
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Impact of RNA Modifications on SARS-CoV-2 RNA Synthesis 16 February 2023 RNA modifications may be a cause of different symptoms for different individuals toward SARS-CoV-2 |
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How High Are PFAS Levels in Facemasks? 01 April 2022 Study of human exposure and potential impact on landfills of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) |
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Video: 01 February 2022 We use them all the time, but what are they actually made of? How does the filter effect work? |
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Wearable Air Sampler For Measuring Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 24 January 2022 Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based passive sampler used to collect virus from aerosols and droplets |
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UV “Light-Barrier” Can Inactivate Infectious Aerosols 12 January 2022 Invisible room divider could curb spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens |
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Coronavirus-Killing Antiviral Surface Coating 17 August 2021 CodiKoat’s surface coating technology received ISO certification and is said to be the fastest antiviral protection of its kind |
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SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load Levels and Infectiousness in Different Patient Groups 27 May 2021 Large study of viral loads allows estimations of the effects of age group and disease severity |
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Copper Nanowire Foams for Reusable Air Filters 03 April 2021 Possible face mask material provides high particulate filtration performance and is easy to clean, reuse, and recycle |
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What Can Stores Do to Prevent COVID-19 Transmission? 03 March 2021 One-way aisles prevent transmission by close contact; other measures are needed to avoid exposure to aerosols |
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Aerosol Transmission in Cruise-Ship COVID-19 Outbreak 19 February 2021 Scenarios based on the Diamond Princess outbreak show the importance of airborne transmission |
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Simulation Shows How SARS-CoV-2 Moves through a Restaurant 12 February 2021 Detailed investigation of known outbreak shows roles of ventilation and air conditioning |
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How Innate Immunity Influences COVID-19 Viral Load 23 January 2021 Mathematical model of SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics developed |
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What Makes Some Groups More Vulnerable to COVID-19? 11 December 2020 SARS-CoV-2 infectivity might depend on the host’s redox status |
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Spread and Mutations of SARS-CoV-2 in Austria Analyzed 25 November 2020 National-scale analysis of COVID-19 superspreading during the first wave of infections in the spring |
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Cloth Face Masks that Disinfect Themselves in Sunlight 21 November 2020 Functionalized cotton fabrics produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) under light exposure |
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How COVID-19 Spreads in Meat Processing Plants 08 November 2020 Investigation of outbreak at German meat processing plant shows important factors for virus spread |
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Heated Face Mask Could Inactivate SARS-CoV-2 01 November 2020 Researchers aim to build masks with a heated copper mesh |
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New Model for Droplet Physics Could Inform COVID-19 Guidelines 29 October 2020 Masks and distancing are helpful, but might not be enough to prevent all contact with the virus |
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How Far Can Speech-Induced Airflow Carry Viruses? 29 September 2020 Plosive sounds like “p” form air puffs that can transport aerosols over 2 m in 30 s |
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Simple Method to Test the Efficacy of Face Masks 12 August 2020 Fast, low-cost estimation of droplet retention by different types of masks |
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How Well Do Face Masks Stop Droplets? 4 July 2020 Simple visualization experiments show effects of mask fit, materials, and layers |
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Replaceable Filter Membrane for More Efficient Face Masks 26 May 2020 Nanoporous hydrophobic polymer membrane developed |
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Unrecognized Infection Could Play Mayor Role in Spread of COVID-19 |
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How Long Can the SARS-CoV-2 Virus Live on Surfaces and in Aerosols? |
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Clever Picture |
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How Long Can Coronaviruses Live on Surfaces? |
Vaccines and Immunity
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New Adjuvant for Protein-Based COVID-19 Vaccines 10 September 2022 Analogues of α-galactosylceramide (αGC) significantly boost the immune response |
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BioNTainer for mRNA Vaccine Production in Africa 21 February 2022 BioNTech introduces turnkey container-based mRNA production facilities |
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Three Exposures to SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Provide Broad Immunity 09 February 2022 Antibodies with superior neutralization capacity against all variants of concern detected |
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Effects of a BioNTech/Pfizer Booster after the Sinovac Vaccine Studied 22 January 2022 Immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variants has been evaluated |
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EU Authorized Novavax’s Vaccine 21 December 2021 Nuvaxovid™ COVID-19 Vaccine (recombinant, adjuvanted) is the first protein-based COVID-19 vaccine authorized for use in Europe |
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Antibody Levels Correlate with Vaccine Efficacy 24 November 2021 Data from phase 3 trial of the Moderna vaccine could help to develop measurements for immunity |
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Use of Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine in Children 11 November 2021 EMA has started evaluating an application to extend the use of Spikevax to children aged 6 to 11 |
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Immunity from One Coronavirus Could Provide Protection against Others 22 October 2021 Coronavirus vaccines or infections can elicit cross-protective immunity against distinct coronaviruses |
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Microneedle Patch for DNA-Based COVID-19 Nanovaccines 25 September 2021 Patches can be stored at room temperature and might improve global accessibility |
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CureVac’s Second-Generation mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Shows Promise 18 August 2021 Neutralizing capacity of induced antibodies tested against a range of variants in non-human primates |
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How Does Early COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Work? 01 August 2021 Robust CD8+ T-cell response only one week after first shot of mRNA vaccine |
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Clever Picture: 06 July 2021 Most mutations of SARS-CoV-2 do not have a noticeable impact on us, but some do – we look at which ones and why |
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COVID-19 Antibody Responses after Vaccines and Infections 26 June 2021 Antibody levels indicate need for two vaccine doses in those not infected before, single dose for those with past COVID-19, and booster shots for everybody |
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Mixed Vaccinations Generate Strong Immune Response 23 June 2021 Combination of AstraZeneca vaccine as first dose and BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine as second dose could be beneficial, according to preprint |
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Novavax’s COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate 15 June 2021 Shows 90 % overall efficacy and 100 % protection against moderate and severe disease in Phase 3 study, according to manufacturer |
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Lonza and Moderna Collaborate for Drug Substance Manufacturing 08 June 2021 New mRNA production line in the Netherlands will support the manufacture of up to 300 million additional COVID-19 vaccine doses per year |
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Impurities in AstraZeneca Vaccine Could Be Linked to Adverse Effects 30 May 2021 Vaccine contains process-related protein impurities, according to preprint |
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Merck Accelerates Scale Up of Lipids for mRNA Covid-19 Vaccines 26 May 2021 New, high-purity synthetic cholesterol product launched nine months ahead of schedule |
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Second-Generation COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate 18 May 2021 CureVac and GSK aim to jointly develop vaccine candidates that offer improved immune responses and target emerging variants |
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Discussion on Patent Release for COVID-19 Vaccines 07 May 2021 According to industry association, lifting patent protection could discourage entrepreneurs and will not speed up the global supply of vaccines |
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Clever Picture: 04 May 2021 Four Covid-19 vaccines have been approved in the EU to date |
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Interview 04 May 2021 As a Ph.D. student, Hoerr discovered that mRNA can be used as a therapeutic vaccine or agent when administered directly into tissues |
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Simple Indicator Ensures Ultracold Supply Chain for mRNA Vaccines 04 April 2021 Alerting health care workers to unsafe temperatures during transport |
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Single Shot of COVID-19 Vaccine Boosts Antibodies in Recovered Patients 27 March 2021 Vaccinating previously infected persons could improve protection against multiple virus variants |
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First Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine 02 March 2021 Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine receives emergency approval from U.S. FDA |
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Lipid Production for mRNA-Based Vaccines in Germany 16 February 2021 Evonik is investing in the production of lipids at its Hanau and Dossenheim sites |
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New BioNTech Plant in Marburg, Germany 10 February 2021 This new BioNTech site will become one of the largest mRNA manufacturing sites in Europe |
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Next-Generation mRNA Vaccine Against COVID-19 5 February 2021 GSK and CureVac start development immediately and plan vaccine availability in 2022 |
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Preliminary Phase 3 Trial Results of the Russian COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik V 04 February 2021 Interim results show that the vaccine is 91.6 % effective against COVID-19 |
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How Long Does COVID-19 Immunity Last? 27 January 2021 Certain immune responses shown to last at least six months |
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How Innate Immunity Influences COVID-19 Viral Load 23 January 2021 Mathematical model of SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics developed |
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Single-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine Works in Mice 16 January 2021 Self-assembling ferritin nanoparticles functionalized with SARS-CoV-2 spikes |
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A Third COVID-19 Vaccine Looks Very Promising 24 November 2020 AstraZeneca publishes preliminary analysis data from Phase III study |
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Another Coronavirus Vaccine Candidate Highly Effective 16 November 2020 Phase 3 study of Moderna’s vaccine candidate met statistical criteria with 94.5 % efficacy |
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Vaccine Candidate More Than 90% Effective in Preventing COVID-19 10 November 2020 Pfizer and BioNTech announce vaccine candidate achieved success in first interim analysis from Phase 3 study |
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Potent Nanoparticle Vaccine against COVID-19 Designed 05 November 2020 Vaccine candidate produces high levels of virus-neutralizing antibodies in mice |
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EU Authorities Started Evaluating Data on COVID-19 Vaccines 07 October 2020 European Medicines Agency (EMA) starts the first rolling reviews of two COVID-19 vaccines in the EU |
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Herd Immunity Effects on COVID-19 in Hard-Hit Brazilian City 27 September 2020 Population immunity might have played a significant role in determining the size of the epidemic in Manaus |
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European Union Negotiates with Vaccine Producers 26 August 2020 European Commission expands talks with a fifth vaccine manufacturer |
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Clever Picture 4 August 2020 Picture describes what happens during vaccination and gives a snapshot of which Covid-19 vaccine candidates are in which clinical phases |
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Pfizer and BioNTech Agree Vaccine Supply with the UK 22 July 2020 30 million doses of mRNA-based vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 expected to be delivered in 2020/2021, subject to regulatory approval or authorization |
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Preparations for a Covid-19 Vaccine 15 April 2020 Merck supports the Jenner Institute to scale up manufacturing of Covid-19 vaccine candidate |
Drugs and Treatments
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RNA Therapeutics Block SARS-CoV-2 Replication 31 July 2022 Chemically stabilized ribonucleic acids modified by click chemistry deliver drugs to cells |
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A Synthetic Ligand for the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein 24 July 2022 α-Helical peptides mimicking parts of receptors could inhibit viral cell entry |
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Small-Molecule Antiviral Could Be Used in Anti-COVID-19 Nasal Spray 12 April 2022 Compound inhibits entry of SARS-CoV-2 into cells |
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Pfizer’s Candidate for Oral Antiviral Treatment of COVID-19 08 November 2021 PAXLOVID™ (PF-07321332; ritonavir) to significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization or death |
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Concise Synthesis of Molnupiravir 05 November 2021 Antiviral drug for the treatment of COVID-19 |
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05 October 2021 Molnupiravir significantly reduces risk of hospitalization and/or death, according to Merck |
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Research Highlight: Controlling the Cytokine Storm in COVID-19 05 October 2021 SARS-CoV-2 infection causes cells to stop dividing as a stress response, pointing to a drug target |
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Sugar-Binding Proteins Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Variants from Invading 18 August 2021 Promising therapeutic intervention against SARS-CoV-2 |
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Membrane-Based ACE2-Rich Nanoparticles against COVID-19 23 March 2021 Cells with high levels of ACE2 receptors used to create SARS-CoV-2 infection blockers |
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Oral Drug Blocks SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Ferrets 09 December 2020 Repurposed ribonucleoside analogue inhibitor of influenza viruses |
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High-Yielding Synthesis of Antiviral Drug Candidate 19 November 2020 Improved preparation of EIDD-2801, currently in clinical trials for COVID-19 treatment |
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Nanoparticle Decoys Against COVID-19 11 October 2020 Nanodecoys adsorb viruses and inflammatory cytokines |
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Targeting Coronavirus Protease Could Have Dual Effect 7 August 2020 Inhibitors of papain-like protease may block SARS-CoV-2 spread and promote immunity |
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Nucleotide Analogues Could Stop SARS-CoV-2 Replication 10 July 2020 Several compounds that shut down the virus’s polymerase reaction were identified |
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First COVID-19 Treatment Authorized for the EU 6 July 2020 European Commission Grants Gilead Conditional Marketing Authorization for Veklury® (remdesivir) for the Treatment of COVID-19 |
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Cellular Nanosponges Could Neutralize SARS-CoV-2 25 June 2020 Membranes derived from human cells act as an alternative target for the virus |
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Human Antibodies Protect against COVID-19 in Animal Study 20 June 2020 Potent neutralizing antibodies found in the blood of recovered patients |
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Continuous Flow Process for Remdesivir Synthesis 16 June 2020 Improved cyanation reaction as a key step for large-scale synthesis |
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New Antiviral Drug Candidates Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease 24 April 2020 Promising inhibitors with high activity and low toxicity |
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Structure of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease as a Basis for Drug Design |
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α-Ketoamides Keep Different Viruses from Multiplying |
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Antiviral Drug Shows Promise Against MERS Coronavirus |
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Suggesting Potential Drug Candidates for Coronavirus |
Testing
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SARS-CoV-2 Nucleic Acid Detection by Naked Eye February 21, 2023 Nanozyme-based nucleic acid testing is a cost-effective and simple method that can facilitate COVID-19 testing and large-scale screening |
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Can Dogs Sniff Out Long COVID? 26 June 2022 Detection dogs trained on acute COVID-19 patients also identified Long COVID samples |
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A Universal DNA Aptamer for SARS-CoV-2 Detection 17 February 2022 Aptamer can recognize the spike proteins of the wild type and current variants of concern |
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Breathalyzer for COVID-19 Screening 05 February 2022 Handheld, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based device for fast, sensitive testing |
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Nanofluidic Device for Detecting SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies 28 January 2022 Immunosorbent assay allows rapid and concurrent detection of SARS-CoV-2 and other antibodies |
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Wastewater Provides Information on the R-Value of SARS-CoV-2 23 December 2021 Low cost, rapid, and independent way to monitor SARS-CoV-2 during the ongoing pandemic |
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Sensor Can Tell Infectious from Noninfectious Viruses 16 October 2021 Direct detection of human adenovirus or SARS-CoV-2 using aptamer-nanopore sensors |
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Video: 03 August 2021 Have you ever thought about what swabs are made of and how new research is improving them? |
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Why Some Patients Keep Testing Positive for SARS-CoV-2 11 May 2021 Reverse-transcribed SARS-CoV-2 RNA can integrate into the genome of cultured human cells |
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High-Throughput Test for COVID-19 Antibodies 09 May 2021 Microfluidic assay allows performing over 1,000 measurements in parallel using ultralow-volume blood samples |
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Nanofiber Swabs Could Improve Sensitivity of COVID-19 Tests 31 January 2021 Improved sample collection reduces false negative rate |
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Pooling Method for High-Throughput COVID-19 Tests 27 August 2020 Increase in testing efficiency leads to higher overall capacity and lower costs |
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Proof-of-Concept for Faster COVID-19 Test 18 April 2020 Gold nanoislands with DNA receptors used for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 |
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Clever Picture 7 April 2020 Picture describes how coronavirus testing work |
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Rapid, Sensitive Test for COVID-19 Developed |
Virus Structure and Receptors
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Screening the SARS-CoV-2 Proteome 06 October 2022 NMR spectroscopy used to find lead compounds for drug development |
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How a Protein Inhibits the Replication of SARS-CoV-2 22 December 2021 ZAP (zinc-finger antiviral protein) interferes with ribosomal frameshifting |
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SARS-CoV-2 Variant Trades Improved Binding for Antibody Evasion 2 May 2021 One of the mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.351 reduces binding to cells, but also to neutralizing antibodies |
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SARS-CoV-2-Infected Cells Imaged Using Helium Ion Microscopy 6 February 2021 Areas of interaction between cells and virus particles studied |
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Structure of a Key Coronavirus Protein Determined 14 November 2020 The envelope protein E acts as an ion channel and could be a target for drugs against the SARS-CoV-2 virus |
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Stabilized Versions of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein 30 July 2020 Improved protein yields and stability could be useful for the development of vaccines and treatments |
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How SARS-CoV-2 Copies Its Genetic Information 7 May 2020 Structure of replicating coronavirus polymerase solved |
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Cells in the Nose Could Act as Entry Points for SARS-CoV-2 30 April 2020 Study of the expression of the ACE2 receptor, which allows cellular entry of the virus |
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Structure of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease as a Basis for Drug Design |
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Structure of Coronavirus Receptor on Human Cells Determined |
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Structure of “Spike” Protein in New Coronavirus Determined |
Other Topics
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Protein Levels Related to Fertility in Men Affected by COVID-19 08 April 2022 Impact of infection on proteins in semen studied |
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SARS-CoV-2 RNA Accumulation in Biofilms in Sewers 18 February 2022 Effect could impact the accuracy of wastewater studies |
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Computational Early Warning System for SARS-CoV-2 Variants 19 January 2022 In-silico approach for the detection of high-risk variants based on immune escape and fitness metrics |
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Commentary 06 July 2021 The chemistry undergraduate student experience during the COVID-19 pandemic |
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SARS-CoV-2 Protease Can Target Human Proteins 11 June 2021 Cleavage of host proteins by viral proteases could be related to COVID-19 symptoms |
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SARS-CoV-2 Infects Insulin-Producing Cells in the Pancreas 07 June 2021 Death of β cells might explain new cases of diabetes in patients with COVID-19 |
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Commentary10 May 2021 An Austrian stamp is printed on real toilet paper using an elaborate process |
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Studying in the Coronavirus Pandemic 15 February 2021 In the midst of the lockdown, chemistry students talk about their daily study routine |
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Does Climate Change Contribute to New Bat-Borne Coronaviruses? 14 February 2021 Higher bat diversity leads to higher numbers of coronaviruses locally—likely contributing to both SARS and COVID-19 outbreaks |
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Commentary Online Networking – How Networking Works During Corona 1 December 2020 The best tips from different scientists and their experiences with online meetings |
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Neanderthal Genes Associated with Higher Risk of Severe COVID-19 09 October 2020 Genomic variants inherited from Neanderthals most commonly found in South Asians and Europeans today |
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The Pandemic Does Not Affect All Researchers Equally 23 July 2020 Scientists with young children, female researchers, and “bench scientists” report the largest declines in research time |
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Commentary A MIDLOCKDOWN NIGHT’S DREAM That Is a Saving Redox Reaction 07 July 2020 2nd Italian Chemical Society’s literary contest gives voice to the young generation during COVID-19 |
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Commentary 07 July 2020 2nd Italian Chemical Society’s literary contest gives voice to the young generation during COVID-19 |
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Commentary 06 July 2020 2nd Italian Chemical Society’s literary contest gives voice to the young generation during COVID-19 |
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Special Science Communication Prize for Virologist Christian Drosten 4 May 2020 Clear, fact-based science communication in the COVID-19 pandemic to the public honored |
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Spotlight 7 April 2020 Gianluca Giorgi, Italy, and Stefanie Dehnen, Germany, give personal insights into this challenging situation |
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How to Use Your Computer to Help with Coronavirus Research |
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Engineered Cell Line for Coronavirus Isolation |
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Clever Picture |
- LitCovid
Curated literature hub for tracking up-to-date scientific information about COVID-19 - Many publishers and other entities have signed a joint statement to ensure that COVID-19 research findings and data are shared rapidly and openly. Free articles related to the coronavirus from Cambridge University Press, Elsevier, Oxford University Press, Springer Nature, Wiley.
- Wiley is providing free access to online learning solutions. Instructors without an adopted online learning solution, such as WileyPLUS, Knewton Alta, or zyBooks, can receive free access for their students for the remainder of the Spring 2020 term.
- What Publishers Are Doing To Help During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Association of American Publishers
